The Rutgers women’s soccer team earned the NSCAA College Team
Academic award, making the Scarlet Knights one of 571 women’s teams
honored for academic excellence. To be eligible for the award, a
team must hold at least a 3.0 grade point average.

Before the 2010-2011 season started, the seniors of the Rutgers
men’s soccer team held a meeting to discuss a struggling Scarlet
Knights program. At the time of the meeting, the program not only
did not appear in the Big East or NCAA Tournament since 2006, but
also did not have a winning record since that year. The time of
national prominence for the Knights was a distant memory. At the
meeting, the seniors decided the perception of their team had to
change.

Newcomers JP?Correa, above, and Kene Eze combined to score 12
goals and record eight assists for the Scarlet Knights. Correa
entered his freshman season as a highly sought after high school
recruit, while Eze transferred from William Paterson for his
sophomore campaign.

Newcomers JP?Correa and Kene Eze, above, combined to score 12
goals and record eight assists for the Scarlet Knights. Correa
entered his freshman season as a highly sought after high school
recruit, while Eze transferred from William Paterson for his
sophomore campaign.

The entirety of the Rutgers men’s soccer team’s turnaround
season was about overcoming adversity. First it had to overcome the
stigma that came along with last year’s losing record and failure
to reach the Big East Tournament, a feat it accomplished this year.
The Scarlet Knights then had to hope for an at-large bid to the
NCAA Tournament, which they received after Connecticut ousted them
from the conference tournament.

The Rutgers men’s soccer team’s season came to an end last
night, and UCLA forced it to play catch-up for its final 89
minutes. The 13th-seeded Bruins beat the Scarlet Knights, 3-0, in
Los Angeles, where they opened the scoring 41 seconds into the
Sweet 16 matchup of the NCAA?Tournament.

The Rutgers men’s soccer team knew entering yesterday’s NCAA
Tournament second-round matchup it had a chance to do what no
Scarlet Knights team has done in a decade — advance to the third
round of the tournament. With formidable No. 4-seeded Boston
College standing in its way, it also knew it was not going to be
easy.

The Rutgers men’s soccer team had to scratch and claw to earn
enough respect for their at-large bid before last night’s first
round NCAA Tournament matchup against Colgate at Yurcak Field. It
seemed only fitting the goal that propelled the Scarlet Knights
(10-6-3, 6-1-2) past the first round was their first penalty kick
of the year.

Freshman forward JP?Correa dribbles past Colgate defenders last
night, when he scored the game-winning goal in the 81st minute. The
goal gave the Knights a 3-1 lead before they added to their tally
with a Colgate own-goal and allowed a goal in the 89th minute.

Senior midfielder Nate Bourdeau battles with Colgate midfielder
Mike Reidy last night in Rutgers’ 4-2 win at Yurcak Field. Bourdeau
stepped to the spot when Rutgers earned its first penalty kick of
the season in the 64th and scored to give Rutgers a lead.

The Rutgers men’s soccer team knew after Connecticut eliminated
it from the Big East Tournament that an NCAA Tournament berth was
not guaranteed. But there was one message head coach Dan Donigan
wanted to drill into his players’ heads: their season was not over.
As the Scarlet Knights take on Colgate tonight in the first round
of the tournament, they enter the matchup like the Connecticut game
never happened.

The screen showing the NCAA tournament selection show in the
Rutgers men’s soccer team’s locker room was barely large enough for
everyone huddled around it to see. But the image it reflected meant
wonders to the head coach Dan Donigan’s upstart program. The NCAA
announced yesterday that the Scarlet Knights earned their first
NCAA Tournament berth since 2006 and will host Colgate at Yurcak
Field on Thursday in the first round.

Junior goalkeeper Kevin McMullen ended the Rutgers men’s soccer
team’s regular season on a high note, earning Big East Player of
the Week recognition. But the Blackwood, N.J., native was not
always familiar with success. Following a preseason groin injury,
McMullen found himself sitting on the bench for the first game
behind classmate Adam Klink.